Dare
by yourheartfree1
Summary: Madison Roberts does something she's never done before: she takes a risk. And not just any risk, but a risk on a gorgeous, famous rockstar, Joe Jonas.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_Before I met you I used to dream you up_

_and make you up in my mind._

_All I ever wanted was to be understood;_

_you've been the only one who could._

* * *

It all started with a game. Truth or dare, to be specific. And when asked to choose between the two, Madison Roberts always chose the first._ Always_. She had picked it when playing her very first game at her very first big girl sleepover and was forced into admitting she had a crush on the very-cute-but-also-very-shy boy in their third grade class. Over the years the sleepovers changed and the names of the boys they talked about changed, but the game itself never did. Madison just didn't see any reason in taking a dare; who _knew_ what they could ask you to do? Dare you to call up the most popular girl in school and ask her if she really made out with Eric Thomson, the hottest kid in their seventh grade class? Dare you to walk right up to your crush and kiss him at your first high-school party? _No thank you._

"Dare," Madison responded, crossing her legs and pushing her long bangs away from her face, bracing herself for whatever it was she would have to do. The girls sitting around her, her five closest friends, stared back at her, wondering if they could have possibly heard right. Because there was absolutely _no way_ in hell that Madison just said that because that was so _not _something Madison would ever do. She was a straight-A student. She had been going out with the same guy since they were freshmen. She had been driving for a year and a half and hadn't yet gotten a ticket for running a light or speeding, unlike every other senior at her school.

"I want a dare," Madison repeated firmly, making it clear. Her response was certainly not because she_ wanted_ to do something as crazy as dance in the middle of her street with no clothing on. No, she chose a dare partly because she had had _quite _a lot to drink at the house-party she went to a few hours before and also because at that moment she _could not stand_ the truth. The truth always seemed to be the best option, the easiest way, the most simple and risk-free. It no longer seemed like that, not ever since she found out that her long-time boyfriend; the guy she was planning on going to college with, the guy she was planning on _marrying_, for Christ's-sake, had been cheating on her. Cheating on _her_! Madison was so angry and_ shocked_ when she first found out, a few hours ago, at that party, that she went up to him and pulled him outside to talk, not even noticing that half of her classmates were watching as tears formed in her eyes, threatening to ruin the mascara and eye-liner that she had spent a half-hour putting on perfectly.

Madison certainly wasn't conceited, but she knew that her slim figure, tan skin, and piercing light-blue eyes stopped more than just a_ few_ guys in their tracks. And the ones who stuck around to see who she was_ behind_ that perfect smile and perfect body all fell for her determination and even her intelligence. This was what made Connor's cheating seem so horrifyingly mind-boggling. And also because up until that point, or the moment when he first kissed that_ whore_ Melissa Ryan, he was a taller, boy-version of Madison: comforting, dependable, and_ trustworthy_. And so she stood outside on that humid, early summer night and listened to him as he tried come up with an explanation; an explanation that really made no sense at all. "I need something else, Mads; something different, something _exciting_," he had told her before she just couldn't stand looking at his pretty face any longer and ran back into the house, where she started to drink, one beer after another. If cursing was something Madison didn't like to do, drinking was something that Madison _never_ did, but that was precisely the reason why she did it.

Madison woke up about eight hours after she chose to take the dare. She was sweaty, her hair was all over the place, she was tired, and her head felt like somebody had just hit it with a bat. Repeatedly. She snuggled out of her sleeping bag and went to sit up, but she just couldn't do it. It seemed like every muscle in her body was hurting, but more than any other it was her _heart_ that was hurting, hurting because Madison found out the truth. And the truth was so much more than that Conner had been cheating on her for four months. The _real _truth was in what Connor said to her, which indicated that she was simply too _boring_. And Madison had always loved her life, but never once had she thought that it wasn't exciting, never once had she thought that she could be doing something greater. The sudden realization that she was living her life, but quite possibly not_ living _her life made her want to throw up. Or maybe it was all those beers.

After taking a hefty dose of Tylenol and drinking three cups of almost-black coffee, Madison was able to stand up straight. Well, sort of. So her best,_ best_ friend since forever, Erica Myers, pushed her into the bathroom and threw a fabulously sexy-but-not-slutty fashionable outfit, as well as a bra and a pair of unsexy granny panties (but it wasn't like anyone would be seeing those, right?), in there as well. Twenty-five minutes later, when Madison was finished with her shower and fully clothed, her five friends pulled her out of the house and dragged her to the car, knowing that they were very, very close to being late. What were they late for? Well, actually, they were late for a meet and greet. Only three of them would actually be going to the meet and greet, since the other two hated the band and were just forced to attend the concert. It was probably not the _best_ idea to leave late for a meet-and-greet and concert with a slightly hung-over friend, but it was too late now for rationalizations. Besides, a good story does normally come from these types of stupid actions, and the one you're reading now is a perfect example.

Madison's head might have been a bit foggy a few hours before, but standing on the meet-and-greet line was like getting a shot of a double espresso with a red bull, and now she was anxiously waiting to get to the front of the line. Although she was excited to meet her all-time favorite boy band _ever _(the Jonas Brothers_-_no, she was not a twelve-year-old, thank you very much), and in particular her all-time favorite attractive rockstar (Joe Jonas can rock, but more importantly, he has a _rockin'_ body), she was also extremely nervous. Her anxiousness and nervousness actually proved a good distraction for Madison, completely steering her away from thinking about Connor and her new discovery of the wonders of chugging beer. And hopefully by the time Madison actually thought about what had happened it wouldn't matter anyway, since it was summer and we all know that summer is supposed to be exciting and awesome and the perfect time to find a significant-other (or at least an attractive good-kisser). Madison was so busy thinking about how nervous she was that before she knew it, it was their turn to meet the boys. So her two friends, Erica and Taylor, went in by Kevin and Nick, as planned, leaving the space in-between Nick and Joe for Madison. Yes, they did plan this because, you see, this was all part of the dare that Madison had asked for. After the usual quick-chat and name swap that occurs at these types of meet-and-greets, the photographer was ready to take the picture.

"Could you count-down for us, please, so I don't blink during the picture because I tend to do that," Erica said to the photographer, who was actually almost as hot as the boys. The hottie photographer nodded his head and asked if they were all ready. Nick put his arm on top of Madison's shoulder, but his hand was actually placed on Joe's. Joe however, being possibly flirty because Madison was probably better looking than most of the girls he had seen that day and actually around his age, put his arm around Madison's waist. Madison leaned into Joe a bit, waiting for the photographer. Everybody smiled and the photographer counted by sticking up his pointer finger first, then the second, and then right as he put up the third and took the picture, Madison leaned a bit closer to Joe and planted a small, but not too-small, kiss on his cheek. Joe jumped a bit, shocked that a fan actually had the guts to kiss him, and the photographer laughed. The girls all waved goodbye and Madison smiled one more time at Joe before taking out a piece of paper where she had written her cell-phone number and sticking it in the big pocket of his very thin v-neck t-shirt.

And that was Madison's first dare. It was amazing, really, that a girl who had been such a goody-two shoes her whole life was able to completely transform herself in less than twenty-four hours. And no, she didn't become an alcoholic- slut-groupie, but she did change from that dare. And I'm not going to spoil it right now because I have a whole story to tell, but I have to say that she was not the only one whose life changed from that dare. Care to take a guess who that was?

* * *

_And not long ago I gave up hope, but you came along _

_and gave me something I could hold onto. _

_And I want you more than you could ever know._


	2. Take This to Heart

_You said it hurts and you know that I believe you,_

_searching every little thing to find a way to tell your heart_

_just to wait a little longer; I swear we'll make it._

* * *

They had been calling him "Danger" for years. And when you're seven years old and you take your two-wheeler out for a ride down the biggest hill in the neighborhood I think that name would certainly be fitting. But at just two months shy of being nineteen years old, Joe Jonas was no longer deserving of the title. It's not that he didn't do crazy, fun, spontaneous things, because he certainly did, but the things that he did were not _risks_ and they were certainly not_ dangerous_. At all. Everybody grows up at one point or another, and Joe's time came that year, the year when he and his brothers really started to become_ big_. I mean, how dangerous can you possibly be when you are shown on the Disney Channel every two minutes, have twelve years olds idolizing you, and have your every move documented on gossip websites? The answer: you can't be. Drinking: not allowed. Partying: not allowed. Sex: not allowed. Fun: allowed, if properly supervised and hid from the media.

On the day of the meet-and-greet/concert that our good friend Madison was attending, Joe Jonas had a girlfriend. Well, she was sort-of a girlfriend or was at least the closest thing that he could have to a girlfriend, considering he didn't go on any dates with her or publicly display any affection for her. The reason for this fling, I guess that would be the best name for it, was because it was _convenient_. You see, he was on tour with the girl. Her name's Demi Lovato, and if you don't watch the Disney Channel then you are probably very confused right now as to why this random girl was on tour with them. Well, I'll try to explain quickly. The girl got lucky one day and Disney noticed that she was fairly cute (if wearing the right type of makeup), skinny, and had a pretty sweet voice, and so they put her in a movie, Camp Rock, which even though it got some harsh reviews, got the respect and love from millions of kids, tweens, and teens across America.

Ever since the Jonas boys had started touring, a tour plus a cute girl had always equaled a hookup for Joe. But it was never anything more than a few months of kissing and cuddling and smiling because there would always be another girl and another tour to get to. Joe had always behaved this way because he was young and it was fun and exciting to him to be on tour, but now things were different. You see, Joe no longer thought these relationships were fun or exciting. Joe didn't_ really_ like Demi; I mean, sure, she was sweet and fun to be around and he thought she was pretty hot, but he just didn't have that fireworks-when-we-kiss feeling. And he had never wanted that feeling before, but he was starting to. He loved his brothers, he loved his parents, he loved his friends, he certainly loved the performing and the music, but he felt like he was_ missing_ something. He wanted someone to give him that fireworks feeling, he wanted someone who he could write I'm-madly-in-love-with-this-girl lyrics, he wanted someone's face to search for in a crowd.

Meet-and-greets were nice and all and Joe did love to see his fans, but when you're doing them every night before a show they tend to be a _bit_ boring, not to mention exhausting. He got phone numbers almost every night; girls pressing them into his hand, girls throwing them on the stage, girls writing them on the tour bus, but no girl had kissed him before doing it. And yes, a kiss on the cheek isn't the most scandalous thing in the world, but the look on this girl's face after she did it gave Joe a taste of this _danger _that he had been looking for. This wasn't just some Disney chick; this girl was _real_. Her eyes were bright and shining and her lightly glossed lips were smiling seductively at him. He had no idea who this girl was, but he knew he just had to find out, so immediately after the meet-and-greet (and a quick kiss from Demi) he pulled the piece of paper with her number written on it in purple ink and texted her, asking her to meet him after the show. And, proud of himself for doing something that Disney would frown upon, he signed the text with his six-letter nickname.

Madison felt her phone vibrate in the pocket of her skinny jeans and went to look at it. The concert hadn't started yet, but girls were already screaming their lungs out and dancing and _crying _in excitement. Madison was pretty happy she went through with the dare, but kissing a famous rockstar on the cheek was something so unlike her that she had trouble believing it had actually happened. Old Madison was slowly creeping back, and she was already planning on calling Connor to ask him if he wanted to meet up in Starbucks to talk. And she had already promised herself that she would never drink again and decided that that would be the last time she would ever chose dare over truth.

Anyway, Old Madison flipped open her phone and saw a text message from an unfamiliar number. She opened it and read the message and almost fainted from the realization that "Danger" was Joe (she had been a fan for awhile now, so she was familiar with the nickname) and that Joe wanted to meet her after the show and get to know her. And if Madison wasn't completely over-analyzing things (which she normally did), the 'getting to know her' bit sounded kind-of like he was hitting on her and/or wanted to jump her bones. So of course she was completely freaked out and planned on deleting the text without responding, because the idea of actually meeting him after the show was insane to her, but then Erica grabbed her phone and looked at the message. Erica, being Madison's total opposite, understood that this was quite an amazing opportunity and encouraged Madison to take it. Well, she didn't really _encourage_ Madison...she forced her. This was why, immediately after the concert, Madison was waiting at the spot Joe had told her to go to, with her lips freshly glossed and wearing Erica's very high-heeled shoes and heavy black eyeliner. Of course, when he saw her in his dressing room (Rob had escorted her there), Joe still believed that Madison was the duchess of danger.

"So, it's Madison, right?" That was the first thing he asked as he rolled up his sleeves to show off those amazingly sexy and tanned arms of his. They both sat down on the couch.

"Yeah," she laughed a little, "and you're Joe, right?" This was Madison's attempt at a _joke_, but Joe naturally took it as being flirtatious since _obviously_ she wanted him if she was there.

"Why'd you kiss me at the meet-and-greet? I mean, I liked it obviously, but I was just wondering."

Madison was about to blurt out a very unsexy and immature "WHAT?" because she couldn't believe that Joe actually_ liked_ her cheek kiss, but held it in. "Because my friends dared me to," she laughed again.

Joe raised his eyebrows. "So you didn't actually_ want_ to do it?" He asked, wondering why this girl wasn't getting completely flustered over him. She really _was_ extremely nervous and confused and _did_ think he was absolutely gorgeous, but she was also a very good actress. Just like he was.

That was an interesting question. "No," Madison responded, giving him the answer she knew that she was supposed to give. This was not the truth. And you're wondering what kind of girl wouldn't want to kiss their famous crush and probably thinking that that girl is completely out of her mind. The truth was that the only boy Madison had ever kissed was Connor and that it felt wrong when she even _thought_ about kissing someone else, even if that someone else _was_ a rockstar.

"_Good_," Joe said into her ear, and his voice had that completely irresistible husky quality to it. And then before Madison could do what she wanted to do, which was be a prude and move away from him, he pressed his lips onto hers. And after that even Madison's conscience had nothing to say. The moment their lips met she thought of Connor and heard him saying how he wanted "something exciting" and thought to herself,_ see? We can be exciting _as the kiss got fiercely hot. Connor's voice was on repeat in her mind and she was thinking of him and soon she was thinking that _Joe_ was him and thinking that they really did belong with each other because even though she'd been going out with him for years, they still had so much_ chemistry_. And Madison didn't stop thinking these things the entire kiss because that was just her, constantly thinking and analyzing.

But then suddenly the door opened and she heard a gasp and her and Joe both jumped and that's when she realized that she was not on Connor's bed with the familiar blue-green plaid bedding with Connor but on some unfamiliar leather couch with sweaty Joe Jonas. Joe immediately untangled himself from Madison's arms and stood up from the couch to face Demi. Madison just stayed there, lying down, trying to figure out if this was real, but even Madison's_ dreams_ weren't this crazy. In fact, her last dream had been about her math final. No joke.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Demi screamed and Madison realized that the rumors were actually true and that Demi and Joe really _did_ have a thing going on. Oops. She was screwed, wasn't she? "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Demi asked her harshly, pushing Joe over so she could get a good look at Madison.

"N-nothing, sorry," Madison said, getting up and grabbing her bag and putting Erica's shoes back on her feet and trying to get the hell out of there, but just as she reached the door, Joe grabbed her arm.

"Madison, no, just wait a second, please," he begged her, thinking that he just couldn't let her get away, but this whole thing was just too much for her so she pulled back from him.

"Whore!" Madison heard Demi scream after her as she ran outside. She sat down on the curb, breathing heavily and trying to calm down her rapidly beating heart before texting Erica to come and get her. Madison had no idea what had just happened, but for once she didn't allow that to matter. Because she had to admit to herself that the strange, unfamiliar feeling that she had wasn't bad at all. In fact, she actually_ liked_ it. Maybe taking that dare _wasn't_ the worst thing in the world. And maybe, just maybe, she'd take one again.

* * *

__

One more night and we'll go spinning around the room

_and dance with our hearts on fire cause every song is ours tonight._

_And if you help me sing, I'm gonna tell the whole world that_

_it's the greatest thing that ever happened to me._


	3. When It Rains

**I'd love to hear what you all think!**

* * *

_And oh, oh, how could you do it?_

_Oh I, I never saw it coming._

_And oh, oh, I need the ending._

_So why can't you just stay long enough to explain?_

* * *

There are several times in our lives when we will find ourselves in uncomfortable, awkward, and possibly quite embarrassing situations. Madison is no different. Like the time when she was buying bras in Victoria's Secret and she saw her math teacher in line behind her. Or the first time she got her period and had to ask every girl in her English class if they had a pad. Experiences like these make you want to flee and hide out in your bedroom closet curled up into a ball, and that is exactly what Madison wanted to do that night at the movie theater. It was _supposed_ to be a little girl's night out (or "G.N.O" for you hip Miley fans), but we all know that life is full of surprises and this was just the case.

Madison walked in with Erica and two of their other friends, planning on seeing "Mamma Mia!" because they all had a dorky obsession with Broadway musicals, and got on the line to buy tickets. There were a few people ahead of them on the line, and Madison swore she heard a familiar voice. But it couldn't be _him_, she thought to herself, and dismissed the thought, but then boy-with-the-familiar-voice and the girl he was with finished buying their tickets and started to walk into the main theater area, and that was when Madison realized that this boy's voice was familiar because it was Connor. _Duh_.

"Connor?" Madison whispered in disbelief, getting pissed off at the fact that he was there with a girl that wasn't her. And she had a right to be pissed, I mean, it had only been a little over a week since their little 'break up' fiasco at the house party and he was already dating someone else? And, not that Madison was noticing or anything, but he was wearing the same shirt that he wore on their second date (which was, of course, to the movies). Ugh. Sometimes Madison really wished she was a lesbian. Boys were just so…_annoying_. Idiots.

"_Connor?"_ Erica asked quite loudly, looking at Madison curiously and wondering what she was talking about, and then Connor and random-slut-on-a-date-with-Connor girl turned around.

"Oh, hey guys," Connor said, walking over to them, his arm lightly around the waist of the girl.

"Hey," Madison responded lightly, trying to prevent herself from clawing out this girl's eyes out.

"Hi," slut-girl said. She smiled warmly and Madison felt bad about wanting to kill her, but it still didn't mean she wanted her around. This girl was very pretty, with short, layered brown hair, green eyes, and light freckles on her cheeks and nose. Madison couldn't help wondering what was so _special _about this girl, because obviously, unlike Madison, _this_ girl was exciting_._ _Please._

Erica, being great at starting and holding conversations, unlike our dear Madison, started to talk to slut-girl and ask her about what movie they were going to see. That left Madison standing by Connor.

"So how are you?" Connor asked her, putting his hands in the pockets of his sexy Abercrombie jeans. Now honestly, Connor, that is the dumbest question you could have asked. In the book of dating there is a "What to Do if You Break Up," section and in that section it says specifically that you never, never, _ever _ask the person you dumped how they are doing. Why? Because you broke their heart and fucked them up, _that's_ why.

Instead of answering with the truth which was "I'm pissed off at you for breaking up at me and dating another girl because we belong together, you schmuck," Madison chose to answer with a wimpy, "fine." Madison was _so _pissed off by this point that it was clear, even to thickheaded Connor, that she was so_ not_ fine.

"Cons, want to get some popcorn or candy or something now? The movie's starting in a few minutes," slut-girl interrupted, looking at her watch.

"Yeah, one sec, okay?"

"Okay, I'll go on line then. It was nice to meet all of you," she said, smiling at them sweetly, before walking away.

"So I guess you'd better go, you know, to your new girlfriend," Madison said harshly.

Connor sighed. "Madison…" he started to say.

"What?" She snapped.

"Look, I think we have to talk about some things." Madison didn't say anything. The last time they 'talked' he told her that he didn't want to be with her anymore and she certainly didn't want to hear words like that again, but at the same time she still wanted to talk to him. Maybe he'd realize that he was wrong to break up with her. "How about Starbucks. Tomorrow?" Madison nodded pathetically. "Okay, let's say 8?" She nodded again, trying not to look at him. "Okay, see ya then," he said before walking back towards his date.

There are girls who get cheated on or dumped or hurt by a stupid guy who are silent, like Madison. They are upset, they are angry, but they sit there and let it all hit them like a ton of bricks and are too scared or freaked out to respond. The problem with that is that the guy never gets to know she really feels. And even though telling him doesn't normally change anything, it can make you feel a hell of a lot better because you know that at least you did _something_.

Demi was not that type of girl. Maybe she _was_, back in the day, before she got her 'big break' or whatever-it-was with Disney and all that "This is Me" confidence and crap, but she was done with that now. So around the same time that Madison was sitting in "Mamma Mia!" and thinking about how pathetic her life was, Demi was looking for Joe. Because she had been giving him the silent treatment for the past week and it was pretty strange singing a love song in front of thousands of people with someone you weren't talking to. And she also kind-of, sort-of, _totally _still had a thing for him and was wondering what the heck possessed him to kiss someone who wasn't her.

"I need to talk to you," Demi said once she found him, sitting in his dressing room and watching TV.

"_Now?_ You haven't spoken to me this whole week," Joe lowered the volume on the TV and scratched his head.

"Well," Demi said, trying not to look at Joe because he was wearing one of those thin V-neck t-shirts of his that were so sexy she could barely handle it, "I was pissed off. I mean, can you blame me? I walked in and saw you _kissing_ _some girl_."

"You know I'm sorry about that, Demi."

"I know you're sorry, but it doesn't change the fact that you did it." Demi was upset, but she was_ not_ going to cry. No, she couldn't let herself do that. "Why did you?"

"It wasn't about you. Look, I didn't even know that girl, okay?" And was that supposed to make Demi feel better? Well, it _wasn't_. "I just did it because, I don't know, I needed a change. I thought I needed something."

"What did you need?"

"I don't know."

"You just didn't need me, right? Is that it?"

The answer to those questions was_ yes_, but his mother had taught him well, and so he lied so he wouldn't make her feel worse.

"What was wrong with me? Was I not good enough for you, _rockstar_?" Now Demi was coming very close to crying.

"No, no that's not it at all."

"Then tell me what it is!" Demi just couldn't stop; she _had_ to know, she had to understand.

"I wanted something more."

"More _what_?"

"I don't know. Chemistry, maybe. Fire." Well, that's ironic. This conversation is starting to sound like another one we've heard about, doesn't it? You know, a certain conversation that took place outside a house party?

"So, what, you think we don't have Chemistry. What is_ that_, Joe? You think our relationship was _boring_ or something?"

Joe didn't say anything in response, but it didn't matter; Demi already had her answers, so she left the room and slammed the door behind her, letting the tears finally fall as she ran.

* * *

At 7:55 PM the next day, Madison was sitting in Starbucks and waiting for Connor to show up. She ordered an iced green tea, hoping that drinking something would distract her from her nerves. To make matters worse, well, worse according to Madison, she was _still_ getting those stupid texts. What kind of texts? Cute, silly, flirty ones coming from Joe, that's what kind of texts they were. And stupid, naïve Madison just kept deleting them, but Joe, stubborn little rockstar that he was, just had to keep sending them back. He also tried calling, but she just hit 'ignore'.

You're probably wondering _why_ he was sending them. After all, Madison was nothing more than just your regular teenage girl. She may have been smart and pretty, but these are not the types of things that should attract hot guys who millions of girls want to marry. Madison was wondering as well. And the simple solution that she came up with was that he probably _thought _she was really cool, dangerous, and fun because of the way she acted at the meet-and-greet and after the show. And we all know that Madison was not really like this at all and the Madison that did those things that day was not the real Madison. Madison didn't really_ want_ to be that girl either. Sure, it was fun and all, but a dare always comes with a _risk_. And with risks people can get hurt so, Madison believed, it's better to just not take that risk at all.

"Hey," Connor said, walking up to where she was and sitting down, holding a coffee, as Madison deleted another text.

"Hey." Madison really didn't know what to say. Being there in Starbucks with him now just felt so_ strange. _They had gone there so many times together, when they were still a couple. The first time they went, Madison remembered, was back in ninth grade right before he asked her out. It had just opened and they ended up walking there from Madison's house, which was pretty far away. After getting their drinks and starting to walk back, the sky suddenly opened up and it was_ pouring_ so Connor grabbed her hand and they ran back, spilling their drinks everywhere on the way.

"So, Mads," he said, interrupting her thoughts, "I just wanted to say that I'm really, _really_ sorry about all of this. I've messed up a lot, which, as you know, is hard for me to admit. I also haven't handled everything in the best way." Wow, Connor, _you think? _"But I'm sure of how I feel now and, like I told you last Friday, I just think that it would we better if we weren't together anymore. I need space to…to think, to do new things. Do you get what I mean?"

"So after all of that, all of _this_, you're done. No, Connor, I _don't _get what you mean, not at all." They had been together for over two _years_. He was her first boyfriend, her first kiss, her first everything. They liked all of the same things, they had fun together, they knew each other. They were supposed to win cutest couple in the yearbook. They were supposed to go to prom together. He had _always_ wanted to be with _her_ and now he wanted _space_?

"Look these past few years have been_ amazing_, Mads. And that's why I want to stay close with you. I just can't be in a relationship like that with you anymore."

It was no use. There was no way Madison was ever going to understand, so she didn't even bother. She was about to cry and wanted to just_ scream_ at him and punch him but she sure as hell wasn't going to do that in the middle of Starbucks, so she did the only thing she thought she could do. "It's fine, Connor, really. Enjoy your space or whatever it is that you want. See ya," she said, looking into those gorgeous eyes of him one more time before turning around and walking out.

As Madison walked quickly to her car, she felt her phone vibrate before she heard the familiar first lines of, ironically, "Gotta Find You". Madison had wanted to change the ringtone before, because it was too weird hearing Joe's voice every time he actually called her, but she had stupidly forgotten. That ringtone hit her last nerve and, instead of ignoring his call like she normally did, she answered.

_"What is it?" _

"Whoa, look at that! You actually answered!"

"I answered because I want to tell you to please stop calling me."

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. _"What?"_ Joe was sure the connection was bad or he had suddenly developed hearing problems or_ something_ because there was no way that a girl didn't want him to call her.

Madison reached her car, opened the door, and sat down. "Okay, this is very weird and I know that millions of girls would jump at the chance to talk to you like this, but I _can't_, okay? You just have to understand that," she said, trying to speak calmly. I know you're thinking that Madison is totally off her rocker. Even though her heart was broken, Madison should've wanted to talk to _Joe Jonas_, right? _Wrong._ I mean, ask yourself this: if _Joe Jonas_ called_ you_ on the phone, how would you react? You'd be freaking out, right? _Right._

"Madison," even the way he said her _name _was sexy, "are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Really. It's no big deal. I just…" Madison laughed. "This is crazy. Am I dreaming?"

"_What_?"

"No, really I must be. I mean, first Connor _breaks up_ with me. Then I get drunk and take a dare and make-out with _you _and now you're calling me and he's dating someone else and, God, everything is so fucked up right now and I'm cursing and there is no way any of this is actually happenin—"

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down there for a second. Take a breath, for a second, alright? Get it, _take a breath_? You know, like from the song?"

"_I got it_."

"Okay, honestly, I didn't understand half of what you just said. Well, I understood the part where you said you made out with me, because, not gonna lie, I enjoyed that very much. But why don't you explain the rest to me?" Madison heard something in his voice that was quite unfamiliar. Yeah, there was the sarcasm and the silliness that she had seen on TV, but there was also something_ else_, something that was actually kind of comforting.

"It's really okay, honestly, I'm just a mess right now and," suddenly Madison heard a loud_ tapping_ sound and realized that it was now pouring. "great, just great, I'm stuck in my car now."

"You're _stuck in your car_?"

"It's raining outside and I don't drive in the rain. And I can't go back into Starbucks because _he's_ probably still there, and his freaking _girlfriend_ is probably there with him now drinking some low-fat skinny chai latte or whatever."

"You have a lot of anger don't you?" He asked as if he was trying not to laugh.

Madison sighed. "Okay, would you mind if I just hung up now so I can call someone to pick me up?"

"Yes. I would mind, actually."

"Joe just plea—"

"Nope, I'm not letting you. Because if you hang up now, I'm telling you right now I'm going to keep calling back the whole night, non-stop, because we're stuck on this bus until tomorrow's soundcheck."

"You're impossible."

"And also irresistible, but you'll find that out for yourself soon. Now, where were we? Oh yes, you were going to tell me the story of why you're all depressed and your life is messed and whatnot."

"Joe," she started to say.

"Don't even think about it. I'm listening, now you speak."

"No."

"Yes."

"I'll turn my cell phone off."

"I'll find your house number."

"I'll go to my friend's house."

"Erica gave me her number too."

"What is wrong with you?"

"A lot of things, but right now I wanna hear about all of the things wrong with _you_."

"No."

"You know, we have an interview in a few days on _Good Morning America_ and I could totally bring you up and tell America about how much you like me."

"You wouldn't."

"Probably not, but I _could_, if I wanted to. Do you want to take that chance?"

We all know that Madison doesn't like to take chances. "Alright, alright I'll tell you the story, but only because I'm stuck in my car in the rain and because you've threatened me. After this I don't have to talk to you anymore."

"You might not _have_ to, but you'll _want_ to, just wait and see."

"Whatever, Joe."

"I'm listening, so you can start your story right now." And, realizing that things couldn't get much worse after being stuck alone in the rain and being dumped, Madison did.

* * *

_Take these chances to turn it around._

_Take these chances, we'll make it somehow._

_You can take your time, take my time._


End file.
